Process for coloring fiber.



C. S. BENTLEY.

PROCESS FOR COLORING FIBER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.17.19I6.

Patented Oct. 24, 1916.

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CHARLES S. BENTLEY, 0F PLATTSBURG, NEW YORK.

PROCESS FOR COLORING FIBER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented net. at, rate.

Application filed February 17, 1916. Serial No. 78,969.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES S. BENTLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Plattsburg, in the county of Clinton and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes for Coloring Fiber, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a process of coloring or dyeing fiber and material of all sorts made from fiber, and has special reference to the coloring of fibrous material for use in certain of the fine arts where a great variety of graduated shades of different colors is required.

Among other uses, my process is admirably adapted to the coloring of fiber for use in the production of fiber pictures, for which pictures and the process of forming the same, I have filed an application for Letters Patent of the United States of even date herewith, (Feby. 17. 1916), Serial No. 78968.

Fiber exists in many forms. For instance; we have the vegetable fibers, cotton, flax,

etc; the animal fibers, wool, silk, etc; and' mineral fiber in asbestos.

My invention relates to fiber of all kinds, whether vegetable, animal or mineral; and in all its forms, whether it be in bunches in its raw state, or in. loose batting in sheets and rolls, or whether it be formed into felt goods or paper, or pressed into solid sheets, or woven into cloth.

My object is to provide a simple method by which a portion of fiber or fibrous material may be given a color which shades ofi' gradually from a given hue to a deeper hue of the same color. or vice versa.

Another object is to provide aquick and inexpensive method by which a portion of fiber or fibrous material may be provided with two or more colors which gradually shade and blend into each other, or which increase or decrease in intensity as they recede from each other.

Other objects will appear in the subjoined description.

The invention consists chiefly in the process of applying the coloring matter to the fibrous material and of distributing the same therein.

Une of the basic principles entering into my process is the utilization of gravity, and

also capillary attraction, to properly distribute the coloring material through the fibrous mass.

In the accompanying drawings ;--Figure 1 illustrates convenient means for employing gravitation in distributing the coloring matter through a sheet of fibrous material according to my process, the sheet having been dipped in the coloring solution. Fig. 2 illustrates two methods of doing the same thingone method employing gravity in a way slightly different from that illustrated in Fig. 1, and the other employing capillary attraction. Fig. 3 shows another very simple method for holding the fiber either in bunches or sheets during the distribution of the coloring matter therein: sheets held like the one here shown, being given a deeper color at two opposite sides and shading off into a lighter color at the center of the sheet. Fig. 4 shows a sheet of fiber colored in a way to produce clouded effects, and; Fig. 5 shows a method of disposing the sheet so that opposite sides thereof may be given a different color, with the two colors gradu ally assuming a deeper hue as they approach the center of the sheet. and finally merging and shadinginto each other and blending together giving a rich composite color at the central portion of the sheet. l/Vhen both ends of the sheet have been dipped in the same coloring solution, and the sheet is disposed as shown in this figure, the two colors will gradually merge into a deeper hue of the same color at the central portion of the sheet.

My process of dyeing fiber is, in its basic principle, very simple, and consists in mixing pigment of a given color with a suitable solvent, such,tor instance, as gasolene, and immersing a sheet of fiberin the resulting solution, and then hanging up the sheet. or spreading it on a plate of glass and tilting the glass, to utilize gravity in the redistribution of the coloring solution in the sheet; in the meantime usually drying the sheet rapidly, applying, whenever desired, heat or a blast of air, or both, to accelerate the drying process.

As soon as the sheet is hung up or placed on a plate of glass and tilted, gravity begins to act upon the coloring solution in the sheet attracting more and more thereof from the upper portion cat the sheet to the lower portion thereof, and'the pigment being in a state of fine suspension in the coloring solution, is deposited in gradually increasing quantities as the lower side of the sheet is approached; and as the solvent is evaporated from the sheet, all the pigment is left in the sheet. A sheet colored in this way will yield all the shades of a given color that may be desired in the production of a fiber picture, or for any other purpose. In other words there is produced in the fiber thus treated, all the different degrees and shades of any given color, that a painter would obtain by mixing the original color with varying quantities of white.

Ether (ethyl oxid), or other fluids are preferable to gasolene as a solvent in mak ing some-eolorsu As a rule, the solvent, whatever it may be, should be one that will dry orv evaporate rapidly; or at least one that is capable of drying rapidly, since the gradation of color in a sheet maybe varied by the slowness or rapidity with which it is dried. That is to say, if a sheet is dried very slowly, more of the pigment will work its way from the upper side of the sheet towardthe lower, and hence the upper side of such a sheet will be comparatively light and the lower side proportionately dark; but if a similar sheet containing an equal quantity of the coloring solution be dried rapidly, there will only be time afforded for a comparatively slight downward movement of the pigment in the sheet, and hence the upper side of the sheet thus rapidly dried, will have left remaining in it more of the pigment, and will therefore be darker than if the sheet had been dried more slowly, while its lower side will be lighter than if it had been slowly dried. Again, the gradation of color in a sheet is varied by the thickness or, thinness of the coloring solution, and also by the angle at which the sheet is supported while drying. Other things being equal, a sheet disposed vertically while drying will present a gradation of color lighter at the top and darker at the bottom than if the sheet had been'disposed at an angle to the vertical; and hence the nearer the sheet approaches'the vertical while drying, the more pronounced will beits gradation of color; while the nearer it approaches the horizontal, the less pronounced will be its gradation of color."

From this it will be seen that with a comparatively slow drying solvent, or in the absence of heat or a blast of air, the sheets of fiber may yet be sufficiently tilted while drying to give them the same degree of gradation in color that they would have had if they had been dried more quickly in a position more nearly approachi'ng the vertical. Hence, my process provides convenient means not only for producing an endless variety of gradations of color, but also for whether the solvent be a slow drier or a rapid drier, and whether the advantageous features of heat and air blast be present or not.

By drying the sheets of fiber in a vertical plane, the most pronounced gradation of color possible is naturally obtained, but if they are rapidly dried in this position by a blast of hot air, a comparatively mild gradation of color may nevertheless be obtained and hence for rapid work, and where all necessary facilities are present, the vertical position is one of the best.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a sheet of fiber 1, which has been dipped in the coloring solution and is spread upon a plate of glass 2 to dry. The plate of glass is suitably supported at any desired angle on a frame 3, which is formed of the bottom section 3 and the vertical section 3", which latter sec-' tion is provided with the narrow top section 4. The bottom section 3 may be provided with a series of openings 5 adapted to receive a pin 6 which forms a stop for the lower edge of the plate of glass to hold the same at any desired angle on the frame 3.

Fig. 2 illustrates how the top section 4 may be used for suspending sheets of fiber from the sides thereof in a vertical position while drying. Since the sides of this section 4 project forwardly and rearwardly from the vertical section 8 of the frame, the sheets of fiber 7 and 8 are held out of engagement with said'vertical section and are therefore exposed on both sides of each sheet to the drying action of the air. Fig. 2 is also provided with a trough 9 of porcelain or other suitable material, which trough may serve a double purpose in my process, since it is admirably adapted for a drip-trough when one is needed, and it also serves as a receptacle for holding the coloring solution when the same is to be applied to the sheets of fiber at the bottom and distributed through the sheets by capillary attraction, which for my purpose in the present invention is, in principle, the substantial equivalent of gravity.

If the sheet 7 be suspended from the pins 10 as shown, and coloring solution be poured in the trough 9, the bottom of the sheet which depends into the trough will be at once saturated, and the solution will be taken up the sheet by capillary attraction till the top of the sheet is reached. The upper portion of the sheet will have less coloring pigment deposited therein than the lower portion, and hence the sheet will be colored much the same as if it had been immersed in the solution and at once hung up for gravity to distribute the pigment.

When it is desired to use capillary attraction in distributing the coloring solution through a sheet of fiber on a glass plate, the

lower side of the plate is set in the trough illary attraction will tend to spread the solution from that point to all other parts of the sheet. So far as is known, if the sheet could be insulated from the effects of gravity and the coloring solution applied at the top of the sheet, capillary attraction would nevertheless tend to draw the solution downward toward the bottom of the sheet distributing it through the whole sheet, simulating to a certain extent the action of gravity.

Though gravity and capillary attraction may be theoretically considered separately, yet, as a matter of fact, they always act jointly in distributing the coloring solution in the fiber, and neither one can ever escape the modifying influence of the other. Even when a sheet is immersed in the coloring solution and hung up for gravity to properly redistribute the pigment, and gravity seems to be doing all that is done, capillary attraction is really as active as ever, for if itwere not, gravity would draw all the pigment to the lower side of the sheet or entirely out of the sheet, leaving the upper part, if not the whole sheet entirely white.

If the tray 9 and the sheet 7 be placed in the relation to each other shown in Fig. 2, and coloring solution be poured into the tray to engage the lower edge of the sheet, and the tray left there only a little while and then removed till the portion of the solution taken up by the sheet has dried, and then the tray placed under the sheet again and left for a longer period of time till the amount of coloring fluid absorbed has passed up-in the sheet to a point above the point to which it previously passed up, and this process repeated till the top of the sheet has been reached by the successive dippings and dryings, the sheet will present a series of cloud effects showing the clouds in different graduated strata one above another with the successive strata growing gradually lighter as the top of the sheet is approached, as somewhat illustrated in Fig. 4:. Of course, in a case of this kind the coloring solution must not be of too deep a hue, especially if the sheet is to be frequently dipped to form a considerable number of distinct strata, since in that case the lower part of the sheet would take on a solid color from too frequent dippings. Hence, the more frequently the lower edge of the sheet is to be dipped, the lighter the color of the solution should be. Practically the same result as that just referred to can be obtained by intermittently applying proper quantities of coloring solution to the top of the sheet.

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.. In Fig. 3 I have illustrated, asheet of saturated fiber 11 and a bunch of raw fiber l2 suspended on a line 13 to dry while gravity rearranges and distributes the coloring material through each.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a sheet 14 of fiber supported upon two inclined plates of glass 15 and"'l6, which in turn are supported on a frame having a bottom section 17 with vertical sections 18 and 19 at its sides.

Another way of producing a shading and blending of two or more colors, is to dip each end of a sheet of fiber in a solution of a different color, and then spread the sheet on a plate of glass and tilt the plate alter nately from one side to the other while the sheet is drying. This scheme is used to obtain the varying sky colors in producing sunset effects.

In some colors,-in order to obtain the exact tint or shade desired, the fiber has to be dyed two or three times with different pigments. Sometimes the desired shade can be obtained by mixing the different pigments together and dipping the sheet in the usual way in the composite mixture From the foregoing it will be seen that though the underlying principles of my process are very simple, that yet these principles can be applied in so many ways in the coloring of fiber, that an endless variety of shades and tints and gradations and combinations of colors and artistic effects may be produced.

In the production of the fiber pictures to which I have referred, sometimes all the shades and combinations of color and effects required in a given field of the picture, can be produced in a sheet of fiber, or of cloth or other material formed of fiber, by properly applying my coloring process, and when that is the case the sheet is used in toto. At other times the picture must be formed in Whole or in part with fragments of fiber of different shades and colors properly assembled relatively to each other. For any given color needed in thus forming a fiber picture, my process easily gives a sheet of fiber having all the given shades of that color, so that the artist can pull off from the sheet wisps of fiber of the different shades required and superimpose them at the proper places in the picture.

The frames, etc., illustrated in the drawings, do not form any part of the invention,

which consists solely in the process disclosed for coloring fiber in all its forms; but the drawings simply show convenient means for applying some of the basic principles referred to.

In the appended claims-1f have used the 'word fiber to signify fiber in all its forms,

whether it be raw fiber or the manufactured product thereof.

Having thus described my process, and

shown practical methods of carrying out the same, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1'. The process of imparting to fiber a shaded coloring, consisting of dissolving the coloring matter in a solvent capable of evaporation; bringing the fiber and coloring solution into contact with each other till the coloring solution has been absorbed by the fiber; and supporting the impregnated fiber exposed to the air under the influence of gravity While the solvent is evaporating from the fiber, said fiber being disposed with a portion thereof elevated and other portions less elevated to cause gravity to act upon the suspended particles of coloring matter in the solution during the drying process, said fiber being further disposed at different degrees of angular inclination during the drying process to regulate the action of gravity on the'coloring matter during said process.

2. The process of imparting to fiber a shaded coloring, consisting of dissolving the coloring matter in a solvent capable ofevaporation; immersing the fiber in the coloring solution; and then supporting the saturated fiber in the air for the solvent to evaporate therefrom, the fiber being supported at difierent angles during the drying process according to the gradation of color desired in each instance.

3. The process of imparting to a sheet of fiber a shaded coloring, consisting of dissolving the coloring matter in a solvent capable of rapid evaporation; saturating the sheet with the coloring solution; and spreading the saturated sheet on an inclined impervious surface, and exposing the upper side of the sheet to the drying action of the air, to cause gravity to act upon and rearrange the particles of suspended coloring matter in the sheet, during the drying process, the angle of inclination of said supporting surface being varied to regulate the action of gravity on the coloring solution during said process.

4. The process of imparting to a sheet of fiber a shaded coloring, consisting of dissolving the coloring matter in a solvent capable of evaporation; saturating the sheet of fiber with the coloring solution and spreading it on a plane surface exposed to the action of the air, to cause 'the evaporation of the solvent; and alternately tilting said surface, one side above the other, to infiuence the action of gravity on the suspended particles of coloring matter in the sheet of fiber during the drying process.

5. The process of imparting to a mass of fiber a shaded coloring, consisting of taking the fiber and coloring matter dissolved in a solvent capable of evaporation; immersing the fiber in the coloring solution; and then supporting the saturated fiber in the air for the solvent to evaporate therefrom, the mass of fiber being supported at an angle corresponding to the gradation of color desired therein.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES S. BENTLEY.

Witnesses:

Looms A. Wilson, DOUGLAS EDWARDS, 

